''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family

Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar o ...

, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, belongs to a different genus.

Description

Hollyhocks are annual,

biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...

, or

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

s usually taking an erect, unbranched form. The herbage usually has a coating of star-shaped hairs. The leaf blades are often lobed or toothed, and are borne on long petioles. The flowers may be solitary or arranged in fascicles or

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the sh ...

s. The notched petals are usually over three centimeters wide and may be pink, white, purple, or yellow. The fruit is a

schizocarp A schizocarp is a dry fruit that, when mature, splits up into mericarps. There are different definitions: * Any dry fruit composed of multiple carpels that separate. : Under this definition the mericarps can contain one or more seeds (the m ...

, a dry disc divided into over 15 sections that contain seeds.

Species

The following species are accepted: *'' Alcea abchazica'' Iljin *'' Alcea acaulis'' (Cav.) Alef. *'' Alcea afghanica'' I.Riedl *''

Alcea antoninae ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' Iljin *'' Alcea apterocarpa'' (Fenzl) Boiss. *'' Alcea arbelensis'' Boiss. & Hausskn. *'' Alcea assadii'' Pakravan *''

Alcea aucheri ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' (Boiss.) Alef. *'' Alcea baldshuanica'' (Bornm.) Iljin *''

Alcea biennis ''Alcea biennis'', the biennial hollyhock, is a species of ''Alcea ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single s ...

'' Winterl *'' Alcea calvertii'' (Boiss.) Boiss. *''

Alcea chrysantha ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' (Sam.) Zohary *''

Alcea damascena ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' (Mouterde) Mouterde *''

Alcea denudata ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' Boiss. *''

Alcea digitata ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' (Boiss.) Alef. *''

Alcea dissecta ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, b ...

'' (Baker f.) Zohary *''

Alcea djahromi ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, b ...

'' Parsa *''

Alcea excubita ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' Iljin *''

Alcea fasciculiflora ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' Zohary *''

Alcea ficifolia ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' L. – Antwerp hollyhock *''

Alcea flavovirens ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' (Boiss. & Buhse) Iljin *''

Alcea freyniana ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' Iljin *''

Alcea froloviana ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, b ...

'' (Litv.) Iljin *'' Alcea galilaea'' Zohary *'' Alcea ghahremanii'' Pakravan & Assadi *'' Alcea gorganica'' (Rech.f., Aellen & Esfand.) Zohary *''

Alcea heldreichii ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, b ...

'' (Boiss.) Boiss. *'' Alcea hohenackeri'' Boiss. *''

Alcea hyrcana ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' Grossh. *'' Alcea ilamica'' Pakravan *'' Alcea iranshahrii'' Pakravan, Ghahr. & Assadi *'' Alcea karakalensis'' Freyn *'' Alcea karsiana'' (Bordz.) Litv. *'' Alcea koelzii'' I.Riedl *''

Alcea kopetdaghensis ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' Iljin *'' Alcea kuhsanguia'' Parsa *'' Alcea kurdica'' (Schltdl.) Alef. *'' Alcea kusjariensis'' (Iljin ex Grossh.) Iljin *''

Alcea lasiocalycina ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, b ...

'' Boiss. *''

Alcea lavateriflora ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' (DC.) Boiss. *''

Alcea lenkoranica ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' Iljin *'' Alcea litvinovii'' (Iljin) Iljin *'' Alcea loftusii'' (Baker f.) Zohary *'' Alcea longipedicellata'' I.Riedl *''

Alcea mazandaranica ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, b ...

'' Pakravan & Ghahr. *'' Alcea mosulensis'' I.Riedl *'' Alcea mozaffarianii'' Ghahr. & Pakravan & Assadi *'' Alcea nikitinii'' Iljin *'' Alcea nudiflora'' (Lindl.) Boiss. *'' Alcea peduncularis'' Boiss. & Hausskn. *'' Alcea pisidica'' Hub.-Mor. *''

Alcea popovii ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' Iljin *''

Alcea rechingeri ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' (Zohary) I.Riedl *''

Alcea remotiflora ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, b ...

'' (Boiss. & Heldr.) Alef. *'' Alcea rhyticarpa'' (Trautv.) Iljin *''

Alcea rosea ''Alcea rosea'', the common hollyhock, is an ornamental dicot flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It was imported into Europe from southwestern China during, or possibly before, the 15th century. William Turner, a herbalist of the time, ga ...

'' L. – common hollyhock *''

Alcea rosulata ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' I.Riedl *''

Alcea rufescens ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' (Boiss.) Boiss. *'' Alcea rugosa'' Alef. *'' Alcea scabridula'' I.Riedl *'' Alcea schirazana'' Alef. *'' Alcea semnanica'' Pakravan *''

Alcea setosa ''Alcea setosa'', the bristly hollyhock, is an ornamental plant in the family Malvaceae. The bristly hollyhock is native to the Levant: ranging from Crete, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria to the botanical region of Palestine (including Israel and Jo ...

'' (Boiss.) Alef. – bristly hollyhock *''

Alcea sophiae ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' Iljin *'' Alcea sosnovskyi'' Iljin *''

Alcea sotudehi ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' Parsa *''

Alcea striata ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, b ...

'' (DC.) Alef. *'' Alcea sulphurea'' (Boiss. & Hohen.) Alef. *'' Alcea sycophylla'' Iljin & V.V.Nikitin *'' Alcea tabrisiana'' (Boiss. & Buhse) Iljin *'' Alcea talassica'' Iljin *'' Alcea tarica'' Pakravan & Ghahr. *'' Alcea teheranica'' Parsa *'' Alcea tholozanii'' Stapf *'' Alcea transcaucasica'' (Iljin) Iljin *'' Alcea turcomanica'' Iljin *'' Alcea turkeviczii'' Iljin *'' Alcea vameghii'' Parsa *'' Alcea wilhelminae'' I.Riedl *''

Alcea woronowii ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

'' (Iljin ex Grossh.) Iljin *''

Alcea xanthochlora ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, b ...

'' I.Riedl

Uses

Hollyhocks are popular

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

s. They are easily grown from seed. Breeds with red flowers attract

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics ar ...

s and

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises t ...

Cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s have been bred, especially from ''A. rosea''. They include the

double-flowered "Double-flowered" describes varieties of flowers with extra petals, often containing flowers within flowers. The double-flowered trait is often noted alongside the scientific name with the abbreviation ''fl. pl.'' (''flore pleno'', a Latin ablat ...

'Chater's Double', the raspberry-colored 'Creme de Cassis', and 'The Watchman', which has dark, nearly black,

maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...

flowers.Hollyhock: ''A. rosea''.
''Better Homes and Gardens''. The stems of hollyhocks can be used as firewood, and the roots have been used medicinally.

Pests and diseases

''Alcea'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. Th ...

e of some Lepidoptera species including ''

Bucculatrix quadrigemina ''Bucculatrix quadrigemina'' is a moth in the family Bucculatricidae. It was described in 1918 by Annette Frances Braun and is found in North America, where it has been recorded from California. Adults have been recorded on wing from January to J ...

'' and ''

Vanessa cardui ''Vanessa cardui'' is the most widespread of all butterfly species. It is commonly called the painted lady, or formerly in North America the cosmopolitan. Description File:Vanessa cardui MHNT CUT 2013 3 14 Pontfaverger-Moronvilliers Dos ...

'', the painted lady. The mallow flea beetle (''Podagrica fuscicornis'') is a pest that makes tiny holes in the leaves.

Cutworm Cutworms are moth larvae that hide under litter or soil during the day, coming out in the dark to feed on plants. A larva typically attacks the first part of the plant it encounters, namely the stem, often of a seedling, and consequently cuts it ...

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A ...

s, and capsid bugs use the plant as a food source in hotter and drier conditions. A number of

weevil Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, ...

s use ''A. rosea'' as their host plant, including '' Rhopalapion longirostre'', '' Alocentron curvirostre'', and ''

Aspidapion validum ''Aspidapion'' is a genus of beetles belonging to the family Apionidae. The species of this genus are found in Europe and Africa. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Aspidapion'': * ''Aspidapion acerifoliae'' Suppantschit ...

''.Wilhelm, G., et al. (2011)
Sexual dimorphism in head structures of the weevil ''Rhopalapion longirostre'' (Olivier 1807) (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea): a response to ecological demands of egg deposition.
''Biological Journal of the Linnean Society'' 104(3) 642-60. The plants are also susceptible to the pathogenic

fungus A fungus (plural, : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of Eukaryote, eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and Mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified ...

'' Puccinia malvacearum'', the hollyhock rust.

Culture

The

Aoi Matsuri The , or "Hollyhock Festival", (although commonly, but mistakenly identified as "hollyhock", the "aoi" actually belongs to the birthwort family and translates as "wild ginger"—Asarum, as correctly pointed in the Wikipedia article on the Tokug ...

(Hollyhock Festival) is one of the three main festivals of the city of

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ...

. During the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edward ...

, the hollyhock symbolized both ambition and fecundity in the

language of flowers Floriography (language of flowers) is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. Meaning has been attributed to flowers for thousands of years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in tradition ...

. The UK National Collection of hollyhocks is held by Jonathan Sheppard in Lincolnshire. File:Aoix2.jpg, Man carrying a hollyhock float during the

procession

Gallery

File:Hollyhock - Kolkata 2011-02-25 1734.JPG, ''Alcea'' sp. File:Alcea-setosa--Chotmit--Zachi-Evenor.jpg, ''Alcea setosa'' File:Alcea rosea3 ies.jpg,

Sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined ...

s File:Malva negra - Alcea rosea var. nigra - Hollyhock (7448054488).jpg, ''Alcea rosea'' 'Nigra' File:Alcea Rosea Hollyhocks flower plant.jpg, ''Alcea'' sp. File:Alcea Rosea Hollyhocks flower plant - Closer look.jpg, ''Alcea'' sp. Closer look at the flower

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Malveae Malvaceae genera Perennial plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus